1. Field of the Invention
This invention relates to an improvement of an apparatus, such as a camera, adapted to a film cartridge which has an index indicating a state of use of a film contained in the film cartridge.
2. Description of Related Art
Recently, there has been proposed a camera configured such that, after a film in a halfway used state is rewound into a film cartridge and the film cartridge is taken out from the camera, when the film cartridge is again loaded in the camera, the film is automatically transported up to an unused frame portion thereof so that the film can be used for photography from the unused frame portion thereof.
A film to be loaded in such a kind of camera has a magnetic recording part, so that the camera has the ability to record and read data on and from the magnetic recording part so as to determine a halfway rewinding position of the film from which the film has been rewound without being completely used. A film cartridge containing such a film therein is provided with an index which externally indicates a state of use of the film, such as an "unused", "partially used" or "wholly used" state of the film. The camera is configured to be capable of setting the index to an indication corresponding to an applicable state of use of the film, at the time of rewinding the film. When being loaded with the film cartridge, the camera determines the state of use of the film on the basis of the indication of the index. In a case where the index indicates the "unused" state of the film as the film has not been used at all, the camera causes the film to be transported in blank up to a first frame position thereof to make preparation for photography. In a case where the index indicates the "partially used" state of the film as the film has been rewound from the halfway portion without being completely used, the camera causes the film to be transported in blank to an unused frame portion of the film in such a way as to allow photography to be resumed automatically from the unused frame portion of the film. In a case where the index indicates the "wholly used" state of the film as the film has been completely used for photography, the camera inhibits any photographing operation thereon.
However, in such a kind of camera, in a case where the film has been rewound from the halfway portion because the film has been made unable to be advanced any further due to an accident such as entanglement of the film at the halfway portion, if the film is to be used again with the index being set to an indication indicating the "partially used" state, a photographing operation would not be able to be performed normally since there is a possibility that the film cartridge or film is out of order, or a double exposure would be made on the already exposed frame since the halfway rewinding position has not been normally recorded on the magnetic recording part so as to accurately index an unused frame portion of the film.